Matilda (mascot) explained
Matilda was the mascot of the 1982 Commonwealth Games held in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
Matilda was a model of a kangaroo built on top of a forklift. Standing over 13 metres tall and weighing six tonnes, it could turn its head, its ears could wriggle, and eyes could wink and blink. Its pouch doubled as a door, which opened during the opening ceremony to let out 20 children, dressed as joeys, who ran out two by two for a trampoline display.[1] [2]
After the games, it ended up at the entrance to Cade's County Waterpark on the Gold Coast. In 2009 it was sold to Puma Energy who applied to re-erect it at the Matilda petrol station on the Gold Coast Highway in Tugun; however, after the Gold Coast City Council deemed it breached its planning regulations, it was relocated to the Matilda fuel station on the Bruce Highway at Kybong.[3]
It is now located at the Traveston Service Centre, a traveller's rest stop located on the Bruce Highway.[4]
See also
Notes and References
- https://web.archive.org/web/20070917163227/http://www.commonwealthgames.org.au/Templates/Games_PastGames_1982.htm Mascot
- http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-04-04/curious-brisbane-what-happened-to-matilda-from-the-1982-comm/9510208 Commonwealth Games: Matilda enjoys the quiet life after shining in spotlight as 1982 mascot
- News: 2018-04-03 . What happened to Matilda from the 1982 Commonwealth Games? . en-AU . ABC News . live . 2023-10-03 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230929090916/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-04-04/curious-brisbane-what-happened-to-matilda-from-the-1982-comm/9510208 . 29 September 2023.
- News: 2023-07-23 . Australia has hosted more Commonwealth Games than any other nation. So what happened to all the mascots? . en-AU . ABC News . 2023-11-19 . 18 November 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231118225925/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-07-23/commonwealth-games-mascot-australia-tourists-melbourne-2006-game/102631596 . live .
